The designer returns to TV in a big way this Sunday at 8/7 Central on NBC —and makeover fans are going to love it.

Anyone who's ever watched a design competition show knows there's something palpably exciting about the moments before the big reveal. Will the house/body/face/outfit look unrecognizable? Will it inspire us to make the big change we've always dreamed of? Will it wow us so much we'll have to pause and rewind so we can relive that magical moment all over again?

The days leading upto American Dream Builders feels a little bit like that. It makes sense—the show itself revolves around the big reveal, made all the more fantastically dramatic with larger-than-life "Before" photos of the houses lifted to unveil the awe-inspiring "After." But there's also a special kind of energy around the show's host, Nate Berkus, who is returning to TV and bringing with him one of the most design-focused shows we've seen on prime-time television in a long while. As we all prepare for our latest Sunday-evening obsession, Nate Berkus spoke to us about the level of design we'll see, how he knew he was ready to be a judge, and how the show impacted his home's floor plan.

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"Everyone believes that design on TV has to be about how fast and how inexpensively you can accomplish something," Berkus told us by phone. "I hate that and I never believed it: I didn't want to do a makeover show unless the 'after' interiors would be worthy of the pages of your magazine." (Aw, thanks!)

Instead, Berkus drove ADB toward the process of design, placing importance on creativity, sourcing, and references, all made possible by his fellow judges, Monica Pedersen and Eddie George, and the talented cast he brought on to transform the different homes each week. "We have 12 established designers and builders—award-winning, published designers with successful product lines. They're not competing to be the next anything," says Berkus.

As for that process of transformation—the designers are divided into teams for a weekly challenge that's unlike any other show: To completely renovate two homes with similar architectural styles each week. Berkus is clear that there's no simple one-room before-and-afters here: "It's frontyard, backyard, curb appeal, and multiple spaces within the home," he explains. And the result isn't just a happier homeowner (though who can discount that?) it's leagues of inspiration for those watching at home...and Berkus himself. "I changed my own home's floor plan four times over the course of ADB," he tells us, "That's how I knew I could be behind this show 100%. If it's introducing new, high-level, and motivating ideas to me, I can only imagine how exciting it will be to viewers."

Of course, drawing inspiration is only a small part of Berkus's role within the show. ADB is his first official time acting as a judge—a task that initially felt odd to Berkus. "I was a little insecure at first, so I asked my design staff in Chicago if they thought I'd be OK," he tells us. Their reaction? "'You're the judgiest person we've ever met!'" This editor can vouch for both Berkus's and his team's sense of humor in this regard—what they're referring to isn't a judgmental nature, rather, Berkus's decisive, quick, and clear outlook on what works. "It's true," he says, "so much of what I do each day with my team is review work—do I like this collection? This color combination? This layout for a client? Since we have so much going on, I'm able to quickly decide what I do and don't like, and why."

Though that doesn't mean that the show will be drama-free. "These are designers with their reputations on the line," says Berkus. "No, we didn't make them live together in a dorm room, but they are in high-stress situations, and sometimes who they really are will come through." But at the end of each episode we guarantee viewers will be buzzing about the designs, not the cat fights. "No, I don't believe that anyone watching at home will be able to do everything the designer has done in an episode," says Berkus. "But I would so much rather be inspired at the highest level and then extract what works in my life, even if it's a color combination, rather than see the same kinds of easy fixes I've seen over and over again." Translation: There will be no watered-down design here. And we couldn't be more excited.

Now: Check out our exclusive look at the first episode:

And tell us: Will you tune in Sunday night? What do you hope for in the first episode?